DWWX-TV
DWWX-TV, channel 2, is the flagship VHF station of Philippine television network ABS-CBN Corporation. Its studio and transmitter is located at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Sgt. Esguerra Ave., corner Mo. Ignacia Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. It is the first and oldest television station in the Philippines, and it currently operates 24 hours a day except Tuesday mornings (sign off from 2:00 to 4:00 AM), and scheduled interruptions during the Paschal Triduum of Holy Week. It is the main channel of the network's national television programming which is broadcast to all its regional stations. History Beginnings (1953–1972) DWWX-TV traces its history to the first Philippine television station DZAQ-TV, owned by Bolinao Electronics Corporation later renamed Alto Broadcasting System. James Lindenberg, owner of BEC, was first to apply for a license to the Philippine Congress to establish a television station in 1949. His request was granted on June 14, 1950. Because of the strict import controls and the lack of raw materials needed to open a TV station during those days, Lindenberg branched to radio broadcasting instead. Judge Antonio Quirino, brother of then President Elpidio Quirino, also tried to apply for a license to Congress, but was denied. He later bought stocks from BEC and later gained the controlling stock and renamed the company from BEC to Alto Broadcasting System (ABS). DZAQ-TV began commercial television operations on October 23, 1953, the first fully licensed commercial television station in the Philippines. The first program that aired was a garden party at the Quirino residence in Sitio Alto, San Juan. After the premiere telecast, the station followed a four-hour-a-day schedule, from six to ten in the evening. The first program broadcast at 6:00 PST by the sign-on/opening ceremony with the national anthem of the Philippines "Lupang Hinirang", followed by an announcement of that day's programs and the commencement of ABS television programming. In 1955, Manila Chronicle owner Eugenio Lopez, Sr. and Fernando Lopez acquired a radio-TV franchise from Congress and immediately established Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 1956. On February 24, 1957, Lopez called Judge Quirino to his house for breakfast and ABS was bought under a contract written on a table napkin. The corporate name was reverted to Bolinao Electronics Corporation immediately after the purchase of ABS. With the establishment of DZXL-TV 9 of CBN in April 19 (or July), 1958, the Lopez brothers controlled both television channels in the archipelago, and plans were underway to build a new headquarters for the network in Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, which was officially opened at the same year, and later became the official studios for Channels 3 and 9. The monopoly in television was broken in 1960 when DZTV-TV 13 was established by the Inter-Island Broadcasting Corporation (now Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation) (IBC), then owned by Dick Baldwin. By 1961, with the official launch of its first ever regional station in Cebu, the ABS-CBN brand was officially used for the first time on the station in newspaper ads promoting the series. Channel 3 started test color broadcasts in 1963. In 1966, ABS-CBN became the first TV station to broadcast selected shows in color and by 1967, the company was renamed ABS–CBN Broadcasting Corporation. This company became the formal merger of the two stations DZAQ-TV 3 (ABS) and DZXL-TV 9 (CBN). On December 18, 1968, ABS-CBN opened its present-day Broadcast Center complex in Bohol Avenue, Quezon City; it was then the second most advanced broadcasting facility of its kind during its time in Asia after Japan. On October 15, 1969, DZAQ-TV transferred to channel 2, the current and permanent positioning frequency of the station, while its sister station DZXL-TV transferred to channel 4, which is now occupied by the public TV network People's Television Network. This was in response to frequency adjustments, the television station of the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (now Radio Philippines Network) was launched and occupied the Channel 9 frequency. BBC (1973–1986) When then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, the station was forced to shut down. The company was seized from the Lopezes and its newly built Broadcast Center became the home of state-run TV stations Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation (BBC Channel 2, with call sign changed to DWWX-TV), Government Television (GTV Channel 4, with call sign changed to DWGT-TV and later renamed MBS-4) and Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS Channel 9) from late 1973 onward. BBC 2 and KBS 9 later relocated to the Broadcast City complex in 1977, which is also where the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation is today currently headquartered. As the People Power Revolution broke out and the dictator's grip on power crumbled, the reformists in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (who were also Corazon Aquino supporters) saw that TV would be a vital asset for victory. Thus, at 10 AM on February 24, they attacked and took the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center that was then the home of MBS-4. The station later became People's Television Network (PTV Channel 4) that afternoon, with the broadcasts spearheaded by former ABS-CBN talents and newsreaders. Revival of ABS-CBN and Star Network (1986–present) When Marcos was deposed, the network was sequestered and returned Channel 2 to the Lopezes but not Channel 4. On September 14, 1986, ABS-CBN went back on the air, broadcasting (after almost less than 2 months of test broadcasts) from what used to be their main garage at Broadcast Center in the pre-Martial Law days. President Corazon Aquino together with the staff managed to re-open its facilities after the revolution. Back then they had to share space in the building that was rightfully their own, which was then occupied for the most part by the government TV station Channel 4. Cash was low and resources stretched to the limit, with offices being made to double as dressing rooms and basics such as chairs, tables and phones in short supply during the months ABS-CBN stayed at the old Chronicle Building in Pasig. By late 1986, the network declined, ranking last among the five stations and suffering heavy losses. Eugenio "Geny" Lopez Jr. by early 1987 brought in Freddie Garcia, then working for GMA Network, and tasked him to revive the then-ailing network. At first, the channel 2 logo is introduced into ABS-CBN, after the dissolution of BBC in March. The features of the first channel 2 logo is a wing-shaped blue crest with a white curve at the top and a white line as a tail, the broadway 2 logo was used from 1986 to 1987. It had a slogan name Watch Us Do It Again! as the station ID aired since the network's revival. Six months later on March 1, 1987, Channel 2 was relaunched with the live musical special, "The Star Network: Ang Pagbabalik Ng Bituin" (The Return of the Star) which noted for the famous numerical white tri-ribbon channel 2 logo laced with a white rhomboidal star (from 1988-1992 the ribbons were tri-colored in red, green and blue) as a centerpiece of the network's revival to return its glory days when the station ID was first aired during the relaunch. By 1988, ABS-CBN was topping the ratings, a position it had never relinquished for 16 years. Channel 4 would later move out of the area for a new broadcasting complex (Government Information and Media Center Building) and the new 500 ft (150 m) transmitter tower situated in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City as Channel 2 regains full control of the facility at the end of 1992. Later that year, it launched nationwide domestic satellite programming and by 1994, it expanded its operations worldwide. On June 29, 1999, Eugenio Lopez Jr. died of cancer in Hillsborough, California. Channel 2 launched its 120-kilowatt Millennium Transmitter, resulting in improved signal quality throughout Mega Manila. In 2005, ABS-CBN re-upgraded its transmission capacity into a very high capacity of 346.2 kilowatts (60 kW TPO), resulting in an even clearer signal in Metro Manila. On February 11, 2015, ABS-CBN launched its digital broadcast on ISDB-T with the launching of ABS-CBN TV Plus. In 2016, coinciding the 2016 Presidential Elections, ABS-CBN began its 24-hour broadcasting service, starting with the marathon coverage of Halalan 2016. However, they continue to sign-off the air every Tuesday mornings from 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM for its regular transmitter maintenance, as well as during the early hours of the Paschal Triduum for its annual Holy Week maintenance. Digital television Digital channels UHF Channel 43 (647.143 MHz) UHF Channel 16 (485.143 MHz) Notes: *CINEMO!, YEY!, Knowledge Channel, and DZMM Teleradyo are exclusive channels to TV Plus, a digital set-top box marketed by the network. Access to these channels require texting ACTIVATE TVplus Box ID to 23661 for free, and for any mobile network. *Kapamilya Box Office or KBO Channel is accessible by loading Php. 30 on their Prepaid SIMs and texting activation code (KBO30 ContentCode TVplus Box ID to 2366) on any mobile network. KBO consists of films and Myx block. See also * List of ABS-CBN Corporation channels and stations * ABS-CBN (TV network) * DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 * MOR 101.9 * S+A